150th anniversary of Swedish railways - new commemorative coin

To commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Swedish railways, the Riksbank is issuing a commemorative coin in gold and silver. The denomination for the gold coin is 2,000 kronor and for the silver coin is 200 kronor. The coins will be issued in a limited edition of 5,000 gold coins and 50,000 silver coins.

The commemorative coins will be presented by Deputy Governor Lars Nyberg at a ceremony at the Swedish Railway Museum in Gävle at 1 p.m. on Friday, 8 September. This ceremony forms part of the "Tåg 150" celebrations of 150 years of Swedish railways.

The coins have the same obverse (front). It depicts a stylised carriage wheel, where the spokes are composed of the text "JÄRNVÄGEN 150 YEARS" (railway 150 years).

On the reverse (back) of the gold coin there is a picture of a carriage wheel meeting a railway track - a symbol of the meeting between the curved and the straight. On the reverse of the silver coin a number of railway tracks run across the coin and a single spruce tree is depicted.

The coin has been designed by Annie Winblad Jakubowski, a renowned artist in the field of coin and medal design. The manufacturer is AB Myntverket in Eskilstuna.

The tradition of issuing commemorative coins dates back to the 18th century and is aimed at providing an official seal to the commemoration of events of national interest. The decision on the design of the coins is made by the General Council of the Riksbank.

The coins can be ordered from 8 September 2006 from AB Myntverket via the company’s website, see link below, by telephone +46 16 42 81 00 or by fax +46 16 42 81 20. The coin can also be ordered from the railway trade fair at Gävle 8-10 September. Distribution will begin in week 40. The price of the gold coin is SEK 2,500 and the price of the silver coin is SEK 250.

Further information and pictures of the coins can be found on the Riksbank's website, www.riksbank.se.